KABUL – Afghan president Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to “enterserious talks” with the government in Kabul Monday, following unprecedentedmarathon negotiations between the insurgents and the US in Qatar last week.

“I call on the Taliban to… show their Afghan will, and accept Afghans’demand for peace, and enter serious talks with the Afghan government,” hesaid in a nationally televised address from the presidential palace inKabul.

Afghan authorities have previously complained of being excluded from thediscussions in Qatar, and warned that any deal between the US and theTaliban would require Kabul’s endorsement.

However the Taliban have long refused to speak directly to Ghani’sgovernment, branding them “puppets”.

Ghani spoke hours after his office released a statement saying that USspecial envoy Zalmay Khalilzad had assured them that the focus of the talksin Qatar remains finding a way to facilitate peace negotiations between themilitants and Kabul.

Khalilzad arrived in Afghanistan late Sunday after six days of talksbetween Taliban representatives and US officials in Doha.

Both parties have cited “progress” as hopes rise that the unprecedentedlength of the negotiations could mean a deal paving the way for Afghanpeace talks may be in sight, although sticking points remain.

“We want peace, we want it fast but we want it with a plan,” Ghanicontinued Monday.

“We should not forget that the victims of this war are Afghans and thepeace process should also be Afghan-led.” – APP/AFP